What would John Wayne say about this hardwood charcoal?

Whoa, back up. there, Pilgrim. Is that an image of John Wayne on those bags of hardwood charcoal stacked in front of the Bel Air supermarket? Yep, it’s the Duke, sure enough, and wearing his trademark kerchief and hat, and toting a rifle.

Whoa, back up. there, Pilgrim. Is that an image of John Wayne on those bags of hardwood charcoal stacked in front of the Bel Air supermarket? Yep, it’s the Duke, sure enough, and wearing his trademark kerchief and hat, and toting a rifle.

Turns out the oak-and-hickory charcoal has joined a collection of four spice rubs sold under the John Wayne Stock & Supply line. It’s part of the grilling-centric inventory from the Fire & Flavor company, in partnership with John Wayne Enterprises ( www.fireandflavor.com).

The marketing part of the charcoal is clever. On the bag are the words, “Authentic. Straightforward. Honest. Just like the man himself.”

At the website is this: “John Wayne loved a good steak, grilled to perfection,” says Ethan Wayne, president of John Wayne Enterprises and son of the Duke. “With Fire & Flavor, we look forward to providing chefs and grill masters with high quality products made in the USA and inspired by the bold spirit of John Wayne.”

We bought an 8.3-pound bag of charcoal for $7 and tested it on our Weber grill. It was straightforward and honest, and worked just fine.